Foil or film holder



Oct- 13, 1964 K.R.szczEPAN1AK 3,152,378

F011. oR FILM HOLDER Filed Sept. 16, 1963 INVENTOR 32 Kazimierz R.Szczepaniak A'ITORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,15Z,378 PatentedOct. 13, 1964 3,152,378 FOIL OR FILM HOLDER Kazimierz R. Szczepaniak,Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Metalphoto Corporation, a corporation ofOhio Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 308,989 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-255) Thisinvention relates to a holder adapted to grip one edge of Very thinmaterials such as photographic film or metal foils while they are beingimmersed in a bath of photographic developer, to avoid the formation ofwrinkles, folds or other irregularities in the film surface. Moreparticularly i-t relates to a fiexible plastic material formed in theshape of a gripper which is adapted to be hung from the lower edge ofthe film or sheet material being processed and having a sufiflcientweight to hold the film taut One object of this invention is 'to providea clamp which can be used in all photographic chemicals and dyes withoutfear of contaminating these solutions.

One object of the invention is to produce a clamping device for film orfoil from relatively inexpensive and readily available materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Work holder whichmaintains a film or foil free from bends when hung from the lower edgethereof.

These and other objects are achieved by the device shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a View showing the gripper applied to a piece of foil onwhich an image is being developed in a processing tank;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the device taken in section;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing one manner in which the device is opened toreceive a film or foil to be gripped therein; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragment thereof.

The holder shown in the drawings comprises a body portion 12 preferablyformed of a fiexible Synthetic resin material and having two handles 14,16 of similar material welded to opposite sides of body 12.

The body portion consists of a short length of a thick walled tubing 20,in which a longitudinal slot 22 has been cut along the eutire length ofthe tube 20 leaving faces 24 and 26 on the tube. An L-shaped insert 28is welded or cemented or adhesively secured to the surface 26, in suchfashion that the L extends into the bore of tube 20, and the Verticalleg of the L abuts face 26.

As seen in FIGURE 2 the L consists of a Vertical leg 30 whichsubstantially fills slot 22 and a horizontal leg 32 which is preferablyshaped with a slightly enlarged upwardly sloping 'toe 34 which extendsto the inner wall of tube 30. As a consequence any sheet materialinserted into slot 22 will slide down the sloped face of the horizontalleg 32 and will be urged to remain adjacent to the exposed Vertical faceof the L.

Normally no gap exists between leg 30 and face 24 of ltube 20 due to theinherent resiliency of the plastic tube 20 and to the tendency of tube20 to spring shut. When it is desired to clip the holder on one edge ofa film or metal the handles 14 and 16 are gripped in one hand as shownin FIGURE 3 to spread the tube and to open the slot and 'the film orfoil F is inserted into the opening and rested on the foot of the L.Upon release of the handles the tube shuts and the film or foil issecurely held, without wrinkling and without any marring of the sensi-'tized surface thereof since the portion held in the jaws of the gripperis very small.

Attachment of a sirnilar clip or any other suitable clip to the oppositeedge of the film permits the film F to be hung in a tank 8 containing aprocessing solution 6 as shown in FIGURE 1 without wrinkling.

I am aware that weights have been hung over looped film in order to keepthe film from bending or wrinkling while it is being hung in a developertank, e.g. as shown in Botz U.S. Patent 1,131,817, issued March 16,1915, land it is not my intention to claim any such arrangement.

The holder shown in the drawings is readily fabricated from commerciallyavailable plastic stock in sheet, rod, bar and tube form. Thus body 12is formed by cutting a slot 22 in a thick walled tube 20. Handles 14 and16, shaped from square rods are welded to tube 20. Thereafter a sheet isformed into the shape of L 28 or the L may be an extrusion, and cut tolength, before or after it has been inserted in slot 22, opened .bygripping handles 14 and 16 as in FIGURE 3, and secured to face 26 bywelding or by adhesive.

Having now described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is notintended that i-t be limited except as required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary gripper for film adapted to be hung from the lower end of apiece of film while it is immersed in a processing tank containing aprocessing liquid, comprising:

a tubular body of inherently fiexible synthetic plastic having a slotextending the length of said tubular body, said slot having two opposedfaces;

a pair of Synthetic plastic handle members each welded to one side ofsaid tube between the ends thereof and on opposite sides of said slot;

and an L-shaped support welded to one face of said slotted tubular body,said support consisting of a Vertical leg the outer surface of which iswelded to said face and the inner surface of which faces the other ofsaid opposed faces in said tubular body and a horizontal leg extendinginto the hollow portion of said tube and terminating adajcent the curvedinner wall of said tube, the inner surface of said vertical legconstituting a support for the surface of said film and one surface ofsaid horizontal leg constituting a support for one edge of said film;

said tubular body having relatively thick walls to provide a flexibilityof said tubular body such that when pressure applied to said handlemembers for the purpose of opening said slot is removed, the opposedfaces of said slot close and said film or foil is held between one flatface of said slot and the inner surface of said L-shaped support.

2. The gripper of claim 1 wherein the horizontal leg of said L-shapedsupport has an enlarged toe so that film tends to move toward said innerVertical surface when said gripper is applied to a film.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS340,638 Subers Apr. 27, 1886 460,754 Moxley Oct. 6, 1891 703,192 GuethJune 24, 1902 1,429,889 Lambert Sept. 19, 1922 1,554,437 Larsen et al.Sept. 22, 1925 2,535,728 Eisner Dec. 26, 1950 2,813,47l Lobachewski Nov.19, 1957 2,885,758 Russo et al. May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 552,848France Jan. 30, 1923

1. A UNITARY GRIPPER FOR FILM ADAPTED TO BE HUNG FROM THE LOWER END OF APIECE OF FILM WHILE IT IS IMMERSED IN A PROCESSING TANK CONTAINING APROCESSING LIQUID, COMPRISING: A TUBULAR BODY OF INHERENTLY FLEXIBLESYNTHETIC PLASTIC HAVING A SLOT EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBULARBODY, SAID SLOT HAVING TWO OPPOSED FACES; A PAIR OF SYNTHETIC PLASTICHANDLE MEMBERS EACH WELDED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN THE ENDSTHEREOF AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT; AND AN L-SHAPED SUPPORTWELDED TO ONE FACE OF SAID SLOTTED TUBULAR BODY, SAID SUPPORT CONSISTINGOF A VERTICAL LEG THE OUTER SURFACE OF WHICH IS WELDED TO SAID FACE ANDTHE INNER SURFACE OF WHICH IS WELDED TO SAID FACE AND THE INNER SURFACEOF WHICH FACES THE OTHER OF SAID OPPOSED FACES IN SAID TUBULAR BODY ANDA HORIZONTAL LEG EXTENDING INTO THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID TUBE ANDTERMINATING ADJACENT THE CURVED INNER WALL OF SAID TUBE, THE INNERSURFACE OF SAID VERTICAL LEG CONSTITUTING A SUPPORT FOR THE SURFACE OFSAID FILM AND ONE SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL LEG CONSTITUTING A SUPPORTFOR ONE EDGE OF SAID FILM; SAID TUBULAR BODY HAVING RELATIVELY THICKWALLS TO PROVIDE A FLEXIBILITY OF SAID TUBULAR BODY SUCH THAT WHENPRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID HANDLE MEMBERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPENING SAIDSLOT IS REMOVED, THE OPPOSED FACES OF SAID SLOT CLOSE AND SAID FILM ORFOIL IS HELD BETWEEN ONE FLAT FACE OF SAID SLOT AND THE INNER SURFACE OFSAID L-SHAPED SUPPORT.